“Read it! Read it!” exclaimed Rich and Martin. “Let us hear it.”
Thus appealed to, Miller again seated himself, and read aloud as follows:
“Plucky Sailor Boys.—Two lads, each about fourteen years of age, living in Marblehead, Mass., undertook a daring exploit about three weeks ago. They, by some means or other, got possession of a small yacht in the harbor, and after laying in a good supply of provisions, which took them three days, they set sail and put out to sea. They were picked up, five miles outside, by a revenue cutter, and, after being taken on board, stated that they had laid their plans to go to Europe. They were taken back to the city and restored to their parents.”
“There! what do you think of that?” asked Tom, when Miller had finished reading the article.
“It’s gay,” said Rich. “They were plucky chaps indeed.”
“Why don’t you say something?” inquired Miller, turning to Martin, who sat gazing thoughtfully at the ground. “Don’t you see through the thing yet?”
“Yes,” replied the latter; “what you intend to do is as plain as daylight. But I don’t think the idea is so very gay, after all.”
“Why not?” asked Tom.
“Because those ‘plucky sailor boys’ did not get very far on their way toward Europe before they were overtaken and carried back. Their scheme failed.”